Page 37 - BBHAC Winter 2015-16 Gazette
P. 37
Feature 35
And don’t the kids love it!
The Blackheath and Bromley Youth Club
For around two years After one such match in recently two young athletes
now the parents and track October 2014 it was decided Charlie Short and Henry
managers have been running that they should try setting Cowie donated their Jack
a youth club for the club’s up a youth club and so the Petchey Award money to the
young athletes of all ages idea was put in motion and youth club which enabled
from 11 upwards. The has been running regularly the club to buy a table tennis
idea was the brainchild of since. The club meets once a table, pool table and table
Claire Austridge who was month on the last Friday of football. On a few occasions
aware that a need existed each month and is open from there have been guest
for a group to encourage the 7pm to 9pm, although there speakers to the club such as
boys and girls to socialise is a special Christmas evening Julie Asher Smith, although
especially after athletics which is held until 11pm. this is not a formal part of
meetings. The downstairs common the club’s activities. Generally
room is used by the kids for speaking there is no attempt
games activities whilst the to impose a formal structure
club common room is open on what goes on, so that
for parents and coaches or the kids are able to organise
anyone else, with the bar themselves.
being open so that parents
can stay for a drink whilst the The youngsters pay £1 and
kids take part in games. On can then buy soft drinks and
a typical evening there are crisps at the bar. In fact the
around 30 kids and a dozen club is an effective money
parents attending. generator. Since its inception
the youth club has, according
The games on offer include to manager Claire Austridge,
tag football (played outside donated £1,250 to the main
on the lawn in front of the club and donated small sums
club house in the summer), to support the BBHAC girls’
table football, pool and teams last year. The club is
table tennis. There is good able to run at a profit.
equipment available and
How does the club benefit the
kids? It gives young people
somewhere to go on a Friday
night, the chance to meet
each other on a social basis
away from the competitive
environment of the track and
field with its own pressures,
and also meet kids from other
schools where friendships
can be nurtured outside
the pressures of study and
